National Parks of the Southwest Vacation

 Our Amtrak family vacation started in Chicago departing Union Station in the afternoon. We took Metra from the north side right to Union Station and had plenty of time to enjoy lunch, check our bags and soak in the beauty of the Grand Hall. Sleeper Car passengers get free access to the Metropolitan Lounge, located right off the Grand Hall, that features snacks and beverages. Priority boarding for sleeper car passengers starts about 30 minutes prior to departure time directly from the Metropolitan Lounge.

We settled into roomettes 11 and 12 located on the first level directly across from each other, which was really nice for seeing through to both sides of the view when en route. Having two rooms was so nice to be able to stretch out - four seats for three of us. My six-year old son thought it was hilarious to close the door to his and my husband's room so I couldn't talk to them from my room. Little did he know the peace and quiet was so welcomed I used my time to enjoy the views. And I had an empty seat across from me to stretch out my legs and recline. Because we checked our larger suitcases and only took the overnight bags and backpacks on board, the space was quite manageable. There is storage for large suitcases on the first level but it's kind of a pain for people to have to get in and out of those bags as there is no room in the roomettes for suitcases.

The California Zephyr left on time and we were underway. Right away I was impressed with how smooth the train operated and immediately thought this would be the first of many rail vacations. The whole experience so far was so much more relaxing than traveling by air. The sleeper cars are assigned an attendant and ours wasted no time in showing passengers the ins and outs of our rooms, which were already outfitted with linens, water bottles and individually climate controlled and lighting.

Before we knew it the dining car was open for our 5:30 reservation. Going upstairs to the dining car and walking to our table it became apparent how different the ride was on the upper level - like walking on a moving ship! Parties less than 4 are seated with other passengers as they need to maximize seating so it was nice to randomly meet another traveler and have conversation to complete our table for 4. All meals on board are included for sleeper car passengers and coach passengers are able to purchase meals. The food was quite good - a 3-course for adults and a separate menu for the kiddos.

The train made a few stops in Illinois to board passengers and before we knew it we were chugging through Iowa. Some of the stops are longer that allows for passengers to de-board and remove luggage, crew changes etc. so we were allowed off the train onto the platform to stretch our legs and get fresh air. At one stop in Iowa, Zander got charged by a woodchuck who came out from under a car in a parking lot - no pics of that wildlife encounter as I was too busy grabbing him and running back to the train.

Once we were settled in for the evening, the attendant helped turn down our rooms and we all fought over the upper and lower bunks. The seats in the roomette are really roomy, recline and lower entirely to create what seemed like a little larger than a twin size bed. I started on the upper bunk but found it too hot, small and oddly swayed so much more side to side than the lower bed as the train moved I relocated in the middle of the night. I was able to share the lower bed with my son. My husband took the lower bed in the other roomette and having separate rooms was nice as he stayed up later reading. The upper bunk in that room was handy to throw all our backpacks and toiletry bags because once the seats are folded down you have no floor space. There is a small closet in each room that fits either one outfit hanging or your coat. There are also coat hooks on the inside wall that are handy for hanging sweaters or small bags. The shared bathrooms down the hall were nice - very small. We did not shower on board and waited until we arrived at the hotel the next day. 

Overall, I was really happy with the first day of our Amtrak vacation and I was pleasantly surprised how comfortable and fun the train was. I couldn't wait for the real scenery to begin on day two.....